Osney Bridge, Oxford to Abingdon, 10 miles

Having slept well, bags were packed for later transfer, then it was into the dining room for a decent Eggs Benedict and snaffle some supplies for a simple lunch later. Our transport arrived on time for our return to Osney Bridge and we were back on the Thames Path at 9.15.

There isn’t too much to write about this ten mile section. We were hugging Oxford for the first five miles but it was usually unseen from our easy going towpath. So close to the city, it is unsurprising that there was a fair amount of pedestrian traffic on the path. Dog walkers and joggers, cyclists and students, boat owners and just a handful of Thames Path walkers. It grew hot, then hotter still. We paused at each of the locks, lolling on the grass in the shade of willows. Leaving Oxford behind us the trail became quiet and we saw few people. Enjoying the solitude, we were bracketed by the river on one side and on the other, meadows were interspersed with cropfields.

Tonight’s halt is at the grade II listed Crown and Thistle in Abingdon. It dates from around 1605 and had an extensive and expensive refurb in 2018. We have a large room in the top of the building complete with four poster bed. It is a fantastic location and we wandered around the town a little until the heat and a desperate need for a shower drove us back to our room. While there is plenty of choice on where to eat in Abingdon I saw no need to look further afield as the Crown and Thistle offers a good menu. Later, we sat in the pubs courtyard on a fine and still warm summer evening where I enjoyed a couple of rehydrating pints of A Night at the Hopera, from the Loose Cannon brewery, then it was through to our evening meal. Meals were vastly over-priced but we found mid-menu options before retiring to our room where I cracked open a bottle of Shiraz from the local Spar that cost the same as a glass of the same wine, three floors below us.

• The Thames Path- National Trail
  • The Thames Path
  • The Thames Path: Kemble to Cricklade
  • The Thames Path: Cricklade to Lechlade
  • The Thames Path: Lechlade to Tadpole Bridge
  • The Thames Path: Tadpole Bridge to Bablock Hythe
  • The Thames Path: Bablock Hythe to Osney Bridge, Oxford
  • The Thames Path: Osney Bridge, Oxford to Abingdon
  • The Thames Path: Abingdon to Shillingford/Warborough
  • The Thames Path: Shillingford/Warborough to Goring
  • The Thames Path: Goring to Sonning
  • The Thames Path: Sonning to Marlow
  • The Thames Path: Marlow to Windsor
  • The Thames Path: Windsor to Chertsey
  • The Thames Path: Chertsey to Hampton Wick/Kingston-on-Thames
  • The Thames Path: Hampton Wick/Kingston-on-Thames to Putney
  • The Thames Path: Putney to Tower Bridge
  • The Thames Path: Tower Bridge to Woolwich Foot Tunnel